Downing Street Says » Health Event

The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) began by briefing journalists on the Prime Minister’s visit this morning. The PMOS told journalists that the Government wished to draw attention to an area of policy which was often overshadowed but did in fact affect millions of people, not just old people themselves but also their relatives and carers who look after them. What the Government was highlighting this morning was the attempt to encourage older people to keep fit, to take exercise classes and so on in order to maintain them in an active lifestyle. One of things that the Prime Minister was highlighting was that we have freed up bed space in hospitals, equivalent to over 1 million bed days per year or in other terms, 8 new district hospitals. The Government believed that although it wasn’t something which jumped to the top of the news it was actually quite important.

Asked exactly how that bed space had been freed up, the PMOS replied that it had been achieved by getting people out of hospitals and in to the community faster in conjunction with encouraging them to lead healthier lifestyles.

1 Comment »

I was in hospital recently, and the most active health professional were the physiotherapists – getting us out of bed, taking us up and down stairs and making sure we did our exercises. Most of the other women on the ward were 20 or 30 years older than me, at least! It was really good to see them motivated to recover speedily and go home. The only one who resisted was a woman who was so fat she had to be winched in and out of bed, and spent all night eating sweets and crisps her family had brought her during the day. She was going to be kept in a hospital bed until she co-operated enough to be fit enough to get out of bed and go to a rehab centre for the elderly. It makes absolute sense to encourage healthy eating and exercise amongst the elderly. Many of them are like my mother, who see exercising as unfeminine and hold strange dietary beliefs like shortbread being good for you because it contains butter!
Comment by Vivienne Windle — 3 Nov 2004 on 11:26 am | Link

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» Tuesday, November 2, 2004

Health Event

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